NEW DELHI (TIP): An Indian American Vinay Dube has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jet Airways, according to an official press release. Dube is the Senior Vice President (Asia Pacific) with Delta Air Lines and has been associated with the US based carrier since 2007.

“As the CEO of Jet Airways, Dube will be responsible for strengthening the airline’s overall business performance and its position in the domestic and international markets,” the airline said in a release today. There has been no full-time CEO at Jet Airways since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016.

On his appointment, Dube said he is looking forward to meeting the organization’s business objectives and deepening the relationship with  its strategic partner Etihad Airways.

“An Indian-American, Vinay brings an enviable combination of smart and sharp mindset with global exposure to industry best practices. I am sure Jet Airways will gain substantially from his wealth of experience and industry insight. I personally look forward to Vinay providing leadership to the entire Jet Airways team,” the airline’s chairman Naresh Goyal said.

Dube would also head the executive management team that has been tasked by the board to drive the airline’s growth and future strategy “by leveraging its enduring partnership with our equity partner Etihad Airways,” the release said. Dube’s appointment was approved by the Jet Airways’ board of directors during their meeting on Tuesday, May 30th. The appointment is subject to receipt of all requisite governmental regulatory approvals, including security clearance.

Dube helped Delta Air Lines grow one of the largest premium carriers across the Pacific, profitably expanding its Asia-Pacific business, entering new markets and restructuring its network, partner and customer base, according to the release. Dube began his career with American Airlines as an operations research analyst and later became manager of Network Forecasting Systems. Later, he moved to Sabre Inc, a global leader in technology solutions and marketing services for the travel industry.

He has a master’s degree in Operations Research. Jet Airways flies to 65 destinations and the group currently has a fleet of 113 aircraft.